The Summer of Beads!

If you are a Seinfeld fan, you'll know I couldn't help myself!

I'm excited to make some changes to A Bead A Day blog! For many years I blogged every single day. It was exactly perfect timing...I LOVED it! I can't even properly express how much it all meant to me.

I couldn't believe I could actually meet real people all over the world in the process of living their real lives that I had something in common with...BEADS!

It was a real awakening in many ways. I never dreamed I could have possibly evolved into the person I am now. All of you were a part of it and I sincerely thank you.

I've met such wonderful people, some of whom I have gone on to meet in real life. When I think about it, I am still so amazed.

If you feel like you have something to say or even if you just think you MIGHT have something to say, I strongly suggest you start a blog. Make it real, make it YOU!

Now, after all these years, I am ready for a change. I have changed the look of the blog for the moment and I'm so excited to get back to the roots of A Bead A Day blog, with BEADS!

Stay tuned throughout the summer!

To kick things off, I'm more than thrilled to be taking my third annual journey to the Cousin Corporation headquarters in Largo, Florida tomorrow.

If you shop at Joann's, Michael's, Meijer, Walmart, ACMoore, etc., you'll recognize the Cousin name.

For several days, eight of us (Cousin Ambassadors) will be among the designers, business folks, sales and owners. It's a humbling and extremely educational experience. Info & pics to come!

For now, I'd like to leave you with a picture of some fabulous BEADS I was privileged to "pick" while at Cousin headquarters last year!

Rest assured, there will be bead giveaways this year! It's so fun to SHARE!

I hope you will join me on my journey...it's the summer of BEADS!

New Discovery: Watches Made of Wood!

Have you ever heard of a watch made out of wood? I hadn't until recently and I'm excited to share this discovery!!

This watch is made by a company called JORD located in St. Louis, Missouri. I'm always amazed when I see uniquely crafted items. I wonder about the point of inspiration. Who came up with the idea and how did they get people to jump on their bandwagon to make it happen?

I checked out their backstory and here are a few snippets from their website:

"Jord was derived from our desire for a timepiece that modeled our modern lifestyle. Sustainable, efficient, simple, and influenced by experiential living. Our style is guided by a deep appreciation for natural elements and modern design. Jord is a collective of artists, designers, and seasoned watchsmiths. Wood is not just a component of our watches, it is the main feature."

When I mentioned to my husband, Brad, I might have a chance to review a wood watch, he was totally on board and wanted to be a part of it. As a self proclaimed watch fanatic, he’s really great at taking them apart to literally see what makes them tick!

We chose the JORD Sully model in cherry and maple. (So cute!) The day it arrived, Brad met me in the driveway wearing it! I guess he couldn’t help himself. :)

Once I had a chance to get settled in, I saw that he had repackaged everything so I would have the fun of opening it up for myself too. I was so glad he did that when I saw how special the packaging is!

I LOVE finding a surprise in the presentation of a product. I like to think it's an indication of how proud a craftsperson or company is…so cool! I have to say the simplicity of the wooden "J" dangle made me really happy. :)

The Twitter hashtag card was also a great touch! Use their hashtag #JORDWATCH on your tweet or instagram pics and you'll end up in their photo gallery. 

What Brad and I both appreciated is the fact this particular watch looked great on both of us, especially since the current women’s style is all about making a statement! 

We thought about doing a version of “who wore it best,” but then decided it would be fun to get a couple pictures of the star of the post and also share a few other faves below.

After recovering from all the excitement of something new, we sat down and had an actual conversation about the quality and feel of it. It’s amazingly soft on the skin and lightweight. For me, I find the watch face pretty spectacular. It’s shiny, bright and colorful! The turquoise version struck me in the same way.

Imagining how each piece of the watch is individually crafted from wood is kind of mind-blowing. Brad was also impressed with the accuracy of the movement and the ease of the closure.

I’m still torn between what wins out, the beauty or the craftsmanship.

I’ll leave that up to you!

Here's a link to the entire online catalog of men's and women’s watches.

Thanks to JORD for the opportunity to learn about something so cool!

Coming soon...a complementary bracelet! Beads are out and the weekend is here, Yay!

It's a Creative Circle Blog Hop!

Happy spring!! It's 47 degrees in Ohio this morning and it feels like spring!

Like time, I think temperature is relative. People living in Florida might think 47 degrees is COLD! Ohioans will likely be wearing shorts and flip flops later on today, especially if it gets to 60.

Spring is the perfect time for something fresh and new and I'm excited to share some new designs today, yay! Thanks to fellow Cousin Creative Circle Ambassador, Dawn Doucette, we're having a blog hop!! Thanks Dawn!

She attended the most recent CHA and became inspired and filled with creativity. Dawn suggested all of the Ambassadors design some pieces using the same beads. A fun experiment in seeing how people design so differently.

I'm always up for something new! Special thanks to Shelly Owen for sharing the above pic of the supplies received.

I never really know how things are going to evolve until they do, so it's just as much a surprise to me as anyone else! I ended up making two bracelets and a necklace.

 I LOVE these metal leaves. They are perfect for making little bracelets by gently bending the leaf and adding a chain, so simple. The peace sign and tassle were already attached, so in keeping with my usual philosophy, this felt so easy and effortless.

The chain bracelet was also fun and easy! I'd never just quadrupled up the chain and added jump rings to the ends before, usually I would measure or count the links, this method made it come together very fast. The best part of the bracelet are the little sparkly rondelles nestled in among the chain strands. When it catches the light, it's a little bit of a surprise. :)

This sparkly necklace perfectly feeds my need for sparkle. Simple design, but definitely worth a double take because of the sparkliness.

Thanks again Dawn for the inspiration and the fun! It looks like a good time was had by all the Ambassadors, take a look:

Shelly Owen - Raziela's Designs - razieladesigns.blogspot.com
Allison Cooling - Quiet Lion Creations - quietlioncreations.blogspot.com
Rachel Nielsen - Adventures of a DIY Mom - adventuresofadiymom.com
Molly Alexander - Beautifully Broken Me - Beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com
Rebecca Utermohlen - My Girlish Whims - www.mygirlishwhims.com
Carolina Moore - 30 Minute Crafts - 30minutecrafts.com
Dawn Doucette - Bella Amore Legacy Jewelry

Neon Pop!

OMG, there's something about the new NEON POP line from Cousin Corp that makes me smile! The colors are awesomely bright and some of the shapes are reminiscent of the 80's.

Considering it's 30 degrees right now and sadly, it's a heat wave in comparison to earlier in the week, these bright colors are just what I need!

My latest stash arrived this week, but this is the first chance I've had to open the packages and take it all in. Wow!

I'm feeling some tassel earrings AND I can't wait to create with the clear plastic snapped cuff.

The multicolor chain is calling out to me too, yikes. Is this what a psychic feels like in a crowded room? The voices!! :)

Fortunately my voices are all about beads...I think I can take it. ;) I'd probably be more concerned if I got nothing, no inspiration, just silence. Oooh, too scary to think about.

Let me know what you think about the Neon Pop collection. I love it when Cousin puts their new line on their wholesale AND retail site!

Don't forget to share ideas for the clear cuff too!

The Gift of Balance - Snowflake Obsidian

This is a necklace I've been wearing all month. It was a gift from a friend around the holidays. These nesting cages are perfect for carrying your favorite gemstones.

I received snowflake obsidian in mine. It is said to balance mind, body and spirit by drawing hidden imbalances to the surface so they can be released. Snowflake Obsidian can remove negativity from a space or person with ease. Ahh....doesn't that all sound wonderful?

This was exactly what I needed a couple weeks ago when I had jury duty. I did feel calm in such an unusual, awkward and stressful situation. 

If you know of any other little gemstone nests, please let me know. I'd love to find one that holds a stone and lays flat as a focal piece in a bracelet.

Thanks for your help! :)

In Love with Sparkly Chain

In love? Well, yeah! On a gray January day, I can easily say I'm in love with sparkle!

I'm also loving the Cousin Corporation for sending me all this happiness from sunny Florida! :)

Here's the whole stash. I haven't had a chance to get it all opened and organized, so this is the fun creative phase.
                                          

The possibilities are endless! I like to think of two different ways to design.

Something fairly conservative that I would feel comfortable wearing every day and something a little more fun, maybe a little more out there.

That makes me happy!! And, that is what creativity means to me...HAPPY!

How about you? When you get a new stash of sparkle, what do you do first? When do you begin creating in your head? Do you think conservative or fun?

I'd love to hear about your process!! Please share.

Happy Sparkly New Year!

Happy New Year! I wish you all the most fabulous and sparkly year ever!!

My New Year's necklace was finished just in time! Yay!!

I LOVE when things come together in an unplanned and perfect way. A great reminder that everything always works out. Especially when it comes to beads!

Back in an October post, It's okay to go crazy with sparkle, I mentioned I came across these SPARKLY pave connectors on the Primabead.com site.

I had been dreaming about how to use them in a New Year's necklace ever since. It turned out I was able to get them sent to me from the Cousin Corporation as one of their Ambassadors. Their sister company, PrimaBead.com is their retail site.

I also requested the silver plated open oval teardrops from the Cousin.com catalog.

Just after ordering these pieces, Cousin surprised all the Ambassadors by sending us each a giant box of Swarovski swag!!

It just so happened the box contained a bunch of these tiny little top drilled briolettes that fit perfectly in the open teardrop forms.

Ahh, what a great way to begin 2015!